


Coming Out

by Varianbutts



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games)
Genre: Non-Sexual Slavery, One Shot, Tevinter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:07:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26561146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Varianbutts/pseuds/Varianbutts
Summary: Inquisitor Isaiah confesses to Dorian about his past about being from Tevinter as well.
Kudos: 1





	Coming Out

Isaiah entered the mage tower, doing his best to slip past Solas and upstairs to the library. Solas wasn’t here today, that was good. Especially for what Isaiah wanted to talk to Dorian about. He would rather talk it out without the other elf’s opinion on his life choices. Yesterday Isaiah had gotten too curious for his own comfort and asked Dorian about his opinions on slavery and was not happy to hear that Dorian summed it up to a necessary evil where there were instances were a slave could be ‘treated well.’ even though he did not fully support it and they had a spat over it.

“Ah, Inquisitor!” Dorian greeted. He was not sure if Dorian was being nice because it was expected of him as a member of the inquisition of if he forgave Isaiah for their argument last night. 

“Dorian, I just want to say sorry for the fight we had last night.” Isaiah admitted. 

Dorian shrugged and crossed his arms. “Don’t worry, that was a warm welcome compared to what the troubles the chantry sisters here have given me.” 

“I still shouldn’t have pried. But I did because.... Well” Isaiah sighed, wanting to back out of the conversation now. For a half a moment he debated jumping over the railing right now and running away but the mage would not let him get away from a conversation so easily. “I was actually born into slavery in Minrathous, under a magister named Emerson Blackwell.”

“You know,” Dorian started softly. “The other day over a game of Wicked Grace I told Cullen ‘there is no way that man was born in the Free Marches’ he didn’t seem to know what I was talking about. You have an accent you know.” 

Isaiah nearly winced. No matter how many times he tried to sound more dalish like his boyfriend Seth and his sister Orahari, that little bit of Tevinter kept showing up. If Dorian had noticed, he wondered how many others also noticed. 

Dorian sat down in his chair, his hands pressed together at the fingertips. He seemed to be debating something in his mind when he finally asked, “Magister Blackwell... I know that name. He’s dead now, right. And he has a daughter that still lives... You don’t know how many deaths of her family she was involved with... do you? There were still rumors going around Minrathous when I left.”

Isaiah was a bit taken aback, it was not the first question people asked when he told them of his past but it was oddly more welcome than pity he heard all so many times before.

“Honestly from the rumors I heard when I was in Kirkwall for a time, I would know just as much as you. One killed by the Qun and the other two found dead in their homes... but I know the rumors that she killed her father are false.” He explained. 

“Oh?” This seemed to peak his curiosity and he raised his eyebrows, full attention on Isaiah. 

“I did.” He admitted. 

Dorian smirked mischiefly. “Well well, you were killing would-be Venatori well before your time, Inquisitor. What an interesting life you lead.” 

Isaiah nearly breathed a sigh of relief when he did not ask how he killed Emerson. He shrugged and sat down in the chair next to him. The day he killed Emerson was a day he did not like to remember. Hiding in the closet, clutching a kitchen knife, afraid his own breathing would give him away. He was only sixteen and knew he had one chance to end the magister. It was only a miracle he did as he plunged the knife deep in Emerson’s chest. Now that Isaiah was more trained in how to end a life the rogue way, he realizes that was a one in a million shot if you take in account ribs, muscle, and lungs hiding the heart. It would have been easier to go for the neck, but Emerson was taller than him.

“After that I took a cloak and whatever money I could grab in my escape out. I heard of many runaway slaves going to Kirkwall, so that’s where I made my goal. Did you know I lived with Marian Hawke for a time?” Isaiah explained. 

Dorian shook his head. “Had I known any better, I would think you were pulling my leg.”

“It was before she was officially known as the Champion but one of her friends caught me failing to steal some food. I used up all the coin I had taken to get to Kirkwall. She gave me a home and taught me in the school of rogue before I joined the Dalish. Which is another funny story actually,” Isaiah continued. 

Dorian raised his eyebrow in curiosity but did not want to interrupt Isaiah’s story. 

“I was trying to steal from them first, just food again. But Seth and his sister caught me. Seth was ready to kill me right then and there but Orahari took pity on me and pleaded with the Keeper for forgiveness on me. She’s the clan’s First so I think that’s why she trusted Orahari’s judgement. I did feel bad, my mother told me stories about the dalish. And it seemed like a better life than I had in both Tevinter and Kirkwall so I joined.” He said. 

“Ah, forgive me, but what’s a First?” Dorian asked. 

“The Keeper’s apprentice. We don’t keep too many mages in the dalish clans, only up to three not including the Keeper themselves. Less attention from templars and warry shemlens that way. It’s also a line of succession if something ever happened to the current Keeper.” Isaiah explained. He did not blame Dorian for not knowing, most humans did not understand the dalish and he was thankful Dorian was taking the time to understand. 

“Well, well Inquisitor. With all this and the conclave, you seem to have a habit of squeezing your way out of trouble.” Dorian commented. 

Isaiah chuckled. “You make it sound like a bad thing.” 

Dorian smiled. “No, no I admire it about you, honestly.” 

Isaiah glanced out of the window. The sun was just over the mountain tops. He sighed and stood up. “Well I should get back to work. It was nice talking to you, Dorian.” 

“Do try not to kill anyone without me.”


End file.
